Generated anomalies have feelings too
by Lostinfic
Summary: A simple and sweet fic about an impossible girl and a generated anomaly falling in love. Jenny's quest to find her dad leaves her stranded on Earth where she meets Clara. When winter comes and Jenny's ship isn't enough to keep her warm at night, Clara gives her shelter unbeknownst to the Maitland family.
1. Chapter 1

This takes place before series 7, Clara is a nanny and hasn't met the Doctor yet.

.o0o.

Clara walked through the forest, her scarf masking half her face to protect her both from the cold and the branches. The woods were dense around here, even if all the leaves had fallen off.

She could make out the shape of Jenny's shuttlecraft, lodged between two large maple trees and covered with moss for camouflage. To anyone else, it might look like a big rock.

She peered through a bit of uncovered window and her stomach dropped.

"Oh my stars! Jenny!"

She hit the window with one fist while frantically pressing the button to open the door.

"Jenny! Wake up!"

The door finally slid open and Jenny's eyelids moved weakly. She was shivering under a thin blanket, her teeth clattering behind blueish lips.

"You can't spend the night in here anymore, it's getting too cold."

She stepped into the pod and removed her coat to drape it over her friend's shoulders. Rubbing Jenny's hands between hers, she blew warm air over her fingers.

Thanks to Clara's ministrations, the alien girl regained full consciousness.

"Are you alright? Can you walk?"

Jenny nodded and stood up slowly. Clara wrapped her scarf around her own shoulders, thankful she'd put on a wool dress today, and they started walking through the forest, arm in arm.

By the time they'd reach the main hiking trail, Jenny was already walking faster and when they emerged onto Esmond road, they flat out ran to the house.

Jenny's face had returned to an almost natural colour but that didn't stop Clara from insisting she took a hot shower. She stayed by the door, biting her nails. Worry still pulsed in her veins. She had no idea if Jenny's alien physiology could even survive Earth's winter climate

What if she died before finding her dad? Before seeing all the other worlds she dreamed to explore?

Clara shook her head to chase the thoughts away. She decided to put her anxious energy towards something that would actually be helpful. She went through her closet and selected warmer clothes for Jenny: knit leggings, a long green jumper and wool socks. This made her want to trade her own outfit for sweatpants and a polka dot Henley.

She entered the steamy bathroom, placed the clothes on the toilet lid, and informed Jenny she would be waiting for her downstairs.

Jenny came in the kitchen, fixing her ponytail. She looked much better and Clara was so relieved, she hugged her immediately.

"I'm fine... Thanks to you," Jenny said with a smile that was not quite as bright as usual.

"You're sleeping here tonight," Clara declared, handing her friend a mug of hot chocolate.

"I just need to find a plasma carburettor and I'll be able to keep the pod warm at night."

"You haven't found any of the other parts you're looking for. What makes you think you'll find this one before freezing to death?"

The spaceship had had a rough landing. It still worked, but just enough to sustain its inhabitant, and not enough to leave the planet's atmosphere. She was stranded on Earth until she could find the components she needed to fix it.

Jenny pouted and Clara offered a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bum you out. We'll keep looking and meanwhile you can stay here at night. How does that sound?"

"But, what about the family?"

"It's only temporary. We'll be quiet. Besides, there's no one here during the day and their bedrooms are on the other side of the house. They won't know you're here."

Clara wasn't too worried about them finding out, Jenny was the stealthiest person she'd ever met. She'd startled Clara countless times. After all, she was created to become a soldier, it was part of her genetic program.

Clara cleared the clutter off the brown couch. They settled on it, carefully holding their mugs while sinking into the overstuffed cushions. Seeking warmth, Jenny slipped her feet under her friend's legs and placed a chenille blanket over them.

Clara liked this room the best because of its large windows overlooking the garden and all the light streaming in before noon. Even on this cold day, the sunrays were hot on their skin, and they basked in it like a couple of cats.

"Remind me to take a box of these with me when I leave Earth. It tastes sooo much better than the powdered food in my pod," Jenny said before shoving a handful of colourful marshmallows in her mouth.

"And you should take Jammie Dodgers too."

"Oh yes and pizza!"

Clara knew then that her friend had fully recovered.

She had such a childlike wonderment about everything— she would never forget her face the first time she'd tasted bubble tea when they'd taken a stroll through Chinatown— and yet, sometimes, she could be wise beyond her years. She was fascinating to Clara and not only because she was an alien.

"And… if you don't mind," Jenny continued, "when I leave, I'd really like to take _Little Women_ with me too."

"Of course, I can always get another copy."

They'd taken turns reading that book to each other on a stormy day last week, sobbing and smiling through the March family's ups and downs.

Clara ran her finger around the bottom of her mug, collecting the extra cocoa powder to eat it. Jenny imitated her, grimacing at the sugary taste. Once the mugs were completely empty, Clara placed them on the coffee table and picked up her laptop.

"So, what should we research today?"

Jenny wiggled her nose the way she did when she was pondering something.

"We could try looking for my dad's spaceship. It's a blue wooden box."

She hadn't seen the TARDIS herself but had learned about it after leaving Messaline. Indeed, the inhabitants of the first planet she'd visited had met the Doctor. They'd been willing to trade that knowledge for her help getting rid of a parasite killing their six-legged horses. They knew little about the Time Lord himself but, being a transport-oriented culture, they'd filled her in on his spaceship.

Clara typed "Doctor blue box" in the search engine. The first result was an old-looking website. Under the title "have you seen this man?" there were various pictures of a bloke in a leather jacket with close-cropped hair. Jenny discarded it immediately, but Clara wasn't so hasty. There was that strange sensation in her mind again, like an echo: she could feel it reverberating in her skull but couldn't make out the original message.

She'd felt that sensation for the first time this summer, when Jenny had ran into her—literally— and shoved a picture in her face.

"Hello!" she'd said, smiling in a way no self-respecting Londoner would ever dare to on a Monday morning. "Do you know these people?"

It looked like it was taken from a security camera, there was a tall man in a brown suit with two women, one black, one ginger.

Clara was certain she didn't know either person on that photo, yet she hadn't been able to shake off a feeling of déjà vu. After days of this sensation nagging her, she'd decided to find Jenny and befriend her. Becoming her friend had turned out to be quite easy. Not only because Jenny was one of the most amiable person Clara had ever met, but also because she was lonely on this strange planet.

However, despite Clara's offer for help, it had quickly become obvious that Jenny was reluctant to share whatever she knew about the people she was looking for. The man was called the Doctor, Donna lived in Chiswick— the same area as Clara— and the other one was named Martha. That was all she would say.

As weeks went by and Clara proved to be open-minded and loyal, Jenny had revealed her incredible story. Clara had taken it all in strides, the existence of extra-terrestrial life was just good sense as far as she was concerned. Seeing the spaceship hover and hearing Jenny's two heartbeats had just been icing on the cake.

"Let's call that Clive," Clara suggested, already dialing the number displayed on the screen next to a fax number that betrayed the age of the website.

As it turned out, Clive was dead, murdered by a shop dummy a few years ago. Clara spent the next half hour on the phone consoling his widow who blamed herself for not taking his conspiracy theories seriously.

"You call the next time," Clara declared throwing her phone on the couch.

She rubbed her reddened ear, sore from holding the phone to it for too long. They resumed their research for the TARDIS. Unfortunately, it didn't yield much results but they did learn an awful lot of trivia about police boxes.

For the first time since they'd met, Jenny looked dejected and she had every right to be. Since arriving on Earth, she'd knocked on the door of almost every Donna and Martha in the phone book without any luck. She'd met half a dozen other aliens who weren't able to or didn't want to help her. And most of the people who had claimed to recognize the Doctor on the photo only wanted to take advantage of her. She'd used her fighting skills more often on Earth than on any other planet she'd visited before. Yet, up until now, she'd always been cheerful and optimistic. Almost freezing to death must have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

Clara gently squeezed her friend's hand.

"Tell you what, let's have lunch and then we can do something fun, we deserve a break."

After a meal of beans on toasts, Clara loaded the washing machine and let Jenny pick a movie. For some reason, she was fascinated by American high school movies and this time she chose _The Breakfast Club_. They settled on Clara's bed with a big bowl of popcorn and her laptop propped up on a stack of books.

Jenny watched intently while Clara, who'd seen the movie many times before, simply rested her head on her friend's shoulder, enjoying her reactions as the story unfolded.

Halfway through the movie, she moved the washing to the dryer and, after the credits had rolled, they danced to Simple Minds while folding the clean clothes.

"Don't you, forget about me," Clara sang, using rolled up socks as a microphone.

Jenny, as she often did, imitated her until they couldn't contain their laugh and fell on the bed.

A few remaining bubbles of laughter escaped their chests and they rested on their backs, looking up at the star stickers on the sloped ceiling.

"I wonder if I could put on lipstick like Claire did," Jenny said after a moment.

"Well, there's only one way to find out."

Clara sprang to her feet and grabbed her friend's hand to pull her along.

They stood together in front of the vanity, each with a tube of lipstick tucked in her cleavage. So far, the results were inconclusive. In fact, they both looked like the Joker (she had to explain that reference to Jenny who thought it was a Time Lord's name).

"I bet Molly Ringwald herself couldn't do it," Clara grumbled, wiping the red cosmetic off her mouth for the third time.

"I did it!" Jenny declared.

The pink on her lips was perfectly applied.

"Oh my stars! You did! This shade looks really good on you, by the way, you should keep it."

Jenny took a closer look at her face in the bathroom mirror and her proud smile faded.

"Am I pretty?" she asked.

Clara didn't even have to think about it.

"You're very pretty."

Jenny beamed.

"Thank you! I think you're really pretty too."

"You do?" She blushed and looked at her reflection too. "I think I'm very… blah, you know? Ordinary."

"You're not ordinary to me," Jenny said before kissing her friend's cheek. "Oops, lipstick." She rubbed off the stain with her thumb.

Clara's cheeks burned under the light touch and she shuffled on her feet before making an excuse to leave to bathroom that suddenly felt too small.

She looked over the recipe on the fridge and pulled out the necessary ingredients. She was washing her hands when Jenny joined her, a spring in her steps and still incredibly pretty with glossy pink lips.

She sat on a stool at the counter and studied the way Clara was slicing the vegetables. After a minute, she picked up a knife and a carrot and did the same. They worked in silence until all the vegetables were chopped.

"Erm, Clara, in the movies, why is it always a girl with a boy?"

"How d'you mean?"

"At the end, the boy and the girl kiss, it's never a girl with a girl or two boys. Why is that?"

Clara puffed up her cheek with a deep exhale of air.

"Look, I'll explain the basics but I need to cook, so you'll have to look up the rest."

"Okay."

It wasn't the first time that she had to teach earthling's mores to her alien friend but this certainly was the most awkward. In order to explain heterosexuality, homosexuality and all the declinations in-between, she first had to explain human reproduction. Jenny was bewildered by the idea of a woman carrying a child in her womb ("but what are babies for?"), after all, she had been extrapolated from a DNA sample and generated by a machine.

"Heterosexuality is only necessary for reproduction, right? So, what about love? I don't see why the other person's gender matters," Jenny said, as candid as ever.

"I don't know, that's just how it is." Clara replied evasively.

She poured rice in a measuring cup thus avoiding the inquisitive look her friend was surely casting her way.

She shouldn't be so curt with Jenny, not when she'd once asked herself the same questions. Clara had accepted the fact that she was attracted to both men and women. But she wasn't ready to openly discuss it. At least, not right now, not when it might lead to other questions she wasn't ready to answer.

Jenny started setting the table but from the frown on her forehead, Clara knew there were more questions coming. She placed the last fork and sat back at the counter.

"Do you love someone?"

Clara laughed but it was purely for stress relief.

"Me? I— I don't know."

"How can you not know?"

Jenny glanced at her askance and Clara averted her eyes by fiddling with her ring.

"It's complicated," she replied.

She turned towards the stove, unnecessarily adding salt to the boiling water.

"Complicated how? What symptoms do you have?"

"Can you not talk about it like it's a disease?" Clara turned back to her friend and placed her hands firmly on the counter. "Look, I think it's time you leave, Angie and Artie will be back soon."

They'd decided that Jenny should get out of the house before dinner and come back when everyone had gone to bed. That way she could get all the running and fresh hair she needed— she was unused to staying inside for long periods of time— and they minimized the risks of getting caught. After that, she would climb up the garage and enter through the bedroom window.

She picked a parka from Clara's closet and put on her boots. She hadn't said another word but she looked like she wanted to.

"Are you cross with me?" she finally asked.

"No, no, not at all, your questions caught me by surprise is all."

Jenny nodded and finished putting on all the winter gear. She paused before opening the door.

"I think I'll look it up while I'm out."

"Look what up?"

"The symptoms— I mean, the signs, that you're in love."

Clara chuckled.

"Yeah you do that. Come back before midnight, alright?"

During dinner, Clara could barely keep track of the conversation and she was no help at all when Artie and Angie did their homework. She couldn't stop thinking about her afternoon with Jenny and all the questions she'd asked. She'd spent days in the girl's company many times before, but today it felt like they'd taken their friendship one step further. Further towards what, she didn't know.

At 11:59, her heart skipped a beat when she heard a light tap against her window, she pushed it opened and in climbed Jenny with rosy cheeks. Clara offered her a pyjama with pink sheep on it that delighted her. She put it on right away, leaving her clothes on the bedroom floor.

"Climb in," Clara said, lifting her quilt.

The single bed was not ideal, but it would have to do for now. She turned off the bedside table and the star stickers glowed above them.

The tip of Jenny's nose was still cold, and she pressed it playfully to Clara's cheek who giggled in return. She'd read somewhere that outer space smells like geraniums and sometimes she thought she could smell that on her. A lemony-green fragrance, faintly floral, that lingered on her skin and in her hair.

They faced each other and Jenny nudged her knee between her friend's legs.

Jenny always seemed to seek physical contact with her. Whether that was an alien thing or a Jenny thing, Clara didn't know. And she didn't mind either way. In fact, she enjoyed it.

That closeness sparked something in her, a need for companionship, for affection. A need she'd forgone over the last year because of her dedication to taking care of Angie and Artie.

She draped her arm over Jenny's waist, index finger tracing idle circles over the soft flannel of the pyjama.

"So, did you look up the symptoms of love, then?" Clara whispered.

"I did, at the library… you were right: it is complicated."

"Yeah… but it's worth it."

Jenny only nodded and cuddled up closer to Clara.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This chapter gets a little mature towards the end, nothing graphic, I kept it sweet.

.o0o.o0o.

Clara looked at her alarm clock. 12:34. Not even one whole minute had passed since the last time she'd looked. She got out of bed and, once again, glanced out the window at the moonlit night. There were no signs of Jenny. She dragged her bare feet back and forth across the sheep skin rug in the center of the room while chewing what was left of her nails. Jenny was always home before midnight.

What if something had happened to her? She had a knack for getting in trouble, that girl.

Plus, she was crazy.

The good kind of crazy. The kind you wish was contagious. And maybe it was. Otherwise, why would she let a woman, who claimed she was from another planet, stay with her unbeknownst to the family whose children she was supposed to keep safe?

For the past three weeks, Jenny had stayed with Clara in the Maitland's house. As far as she knew, neither the father nor the kids suspected that they had an uninvited guest sneaking in through the attic window every night. She did feel bad about going behind their backs like this. But the alternative was to leave her friend out in the cold and that was unthinkable. Anyway, Jenny was spending most of the day outside, running around London to find her dad and parts to fix her spaceship.

Although, for the last week or so, with December firmly settling in, she had been staying in more and more when Artie and Angie were at school. She made herself useful by helping with the daily chores. That way, they had more time for fun activities like baking soufflés, watching 80's teen flicks or talking about Earth and other planets. They'd even taught each other useful skills such as putting on liquid eyeliner and self-defense.

With the holidays coming, Clara was considering taking Jenny with her to Blackpool where her family lived. She couldn't possibly leave her friend alone during Christmas time even if she wasn't aware of the event's significance. She'd already worked out how she would explain Jenny's cultural differences to her dad. Jenny only had to learn to speak with a Canadian accent.

Then, in January, it would be one year since she became Angie and Artie's nanny. Originally, she was only supposed to stay with the Maitlands for a week but, when their mother had passed away, she'd decided to stay to help out. Maybe it was time for them and herself to move on. She could get her own place, that way Jenny wouldn't have to hide. And she'd been meaning to travel after university, maybe they could do that as well.

It was barmy, she knew, making plans like that involving a friend from outer space. She had no idea how long Jenny could stay on Earth or if some higher authority might find out about her extra-terrestrial roots.

Maybe that was why she wasn't home yet.

12:35

What if the MI-6 had arrested her? They might be doing experiments on her or worse, torturing her, right now. Clara paced her room a dozen times, arms wrapped around her mid-section.

12:36

"Ok, that's it, I'm going out there and I'll find her."

She removed her pyjama and started dressing up to go out, when she heard a familiar tap against the window.

Relief washed over her as Jenny stepped in, unharmed.

"You'll be the death of me," Clara cried, taking her friends in her arms.

"You're dying?"

Clara chuckled.

"It's just an expression, I was worried."

She tightened her hug once again and realized her friend's backpack was bigger than usual.

"What's that in your bag?"

"I found something! I met a Callufraxian, can you believe that? Here, on Earth, in Regent's Park, he had one of the parts I was looking for."

As she opened her bag, Jenny told her about her encounter with another alien. The triangular piece of iridescent metal she'd acquired was a crucial component to repair her space ship. She was so excited, Clara had to remind her to keep her voice down. The man had said he'd take her to an alien garage in Croydon that might have the type of fuel she needed.

"I had to trade the Abeiian gems I had to pay for it. I don't know what I'll do for the fuel, I don't have any money. If I did, I could be leaving Earth as soon as next week!"

Clara's heart sank.

She wanted to be happy for her, she really did, but she couldn't find it in her to celebrate the imminent departure of her dearest friend.

"Clara, you don't look so well? What's wrong? Are you sure you're not dying?"

"Oh, it's nothing." She waved her hand dismissively. "I—I'll make us some tea and you can tell me all about it, okay?"

She forced herself to smile and disappeared downstairs while her friend went about her bedtime routine.

When she came back, her friend was sitting on the rug in her pretty pyjama. Jenny took the offered mug and held it with two hands over her knees, carefully sipping the steamy chamomile. Clara settled behind her, back against the bed, and proceeded to brush her friend's hair. She had long, thick locks Clara enjoyed braiding at night, that way they were wavy in the morning and she thought it suited Jenny. The blond girl loved it too judging by how her head lolled down and the small, contended noise she made.

"You're really nice to me, I wish I could do something for you," Jenny said.

"Don't worry, it's my pleasure."

And it really was.

She tied up Jenny's braid and tucked in any stray hair.

"Tell you what: if you want to do something for me, when that spaceship of yours is fixed, you take me to see the stars."

"I will. Oh! And I know exactly where I'd take you."

Clara stretched her legs on each side of her friend, and Jenny reclined back against her. She talked about the marshmallow fields of Torasan and the canopy trees of Poojarambhia with their glow-in-the-dark blossoms. Jenny had yet to see them herself, but she'd inherited quite a bit of knowledge about the universe from her father.

After a while, they grew quiet. Clara was getting drowsy, she placed her cheek on Jenny's shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Sleepy," she mumbled.

Jenny chuckled softly, she took Clara's hand and laced their fingers over her stomach.

"Clara?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you really come with me to another planet?"

"Of course."

"Good… 'Cause I think I'd miss you too much if I were to leave Earth without you."

Clara's heart swelled in her chest and she tilted her head, just enough to brush her lips on Jenny's shoulder.

"I'd miss you too, I really would," she murmured against her skin.

.o0o.o0o.

As usual, Clara woke up before her friend, she slid out of Jenny's arms and dressed up quickly. It was a typical morning at the Maitlands, she cooked breakfast, found Angie's favourite sweater and made sure Artie didn't forget his math homework. But it didn't escape the family members that their nanny was more cheerful than usual, whistling as she picked a broken plate off the floor and laughing at Mr. Maitland's terrible jokes.

She waved them all goodbye from the porch, cleaned up the kitchen, and ran back upstairs, hoping to catch another hour of sleep cuddled up with her friend.

However, when she opened her bedroom door, she found that Jenny was already up and dressed. The blond girl was startled by Clara's arrival. She turned around swiftly, looking flustered and holding her backpack tightly to her chest.

"Erm, I was thinking of trying that granola bar recipe and then we could watch Sixteen Candles," Clara said.

"I'm going out."

"Oh ok. You'll see the Callufraxian again?"

"No, I— yes, I will see the Callufraxian again, that's what I'll do. All day."

"Oookay… The kids have a swimming lesson tonight, they won't be home before seven."

By the time she'd finished her sentence, Jenny was already halfway out the window.

"Well, ok then, see ya," Clara said at the empty space in front of her.

.o0o.o0o.

"Clara?"

The bathroom door opened, letting in a cold draft. Clara peered around the opaque shower curtain, hiding the rest of her body behind it. The water in her eyes made it hard to see who had just come in, but she was pretty sure it was Mr. Maitland.

"Peter? What's happening?"

"Thank god you're alright!" He covered his eyes. "Mrs. Miller next door called to say she'd seen someone coming out of the house through the attic window. I tried calling but there was no answer and— well now I know why."

Clara's stomach dropped. They were caught.

"I can expl—"

"I'm glad you're fine," Peter continued, "finish washing up and I'll go upstairs to check if anything was stolen."

Clara rinsed her hair quickly and put on her bathrobe. She knew nothing had been stolen, but she had to erase any signs of Jenny's presence from her room in case Mr. Maitland checked it too.

She picked all the clothes off the floor and stuffed them in the hamper and hid the two mugs in a drawer. Her hands trembled as she made the bed, putting the pillows one over the other instead of side by side. There was blond hair on the vanity, how could they have been so careless? No wonder they'd gotten caught.

She made a mental list of things to do to protect her friend: find out what Mrs. Miller saw exactly, warn Jenny and figure out another way to sneak her in.

She was checking a window on the other side of her room, when Mr. Maitland came in looking panicked.

"The necklace's gone, the safe was opened."

Clara felt the blood drain from her face.

She knew exactly which necklace he was referring to: a family heirloom, antique gold with an emerald pendant. Angie had inherited it when her mum had died. They kept it in the safe until she was old enough to take care of it herself.

Jenny needed money for fuel, maybe she'd— Clara didn't finish her thought, she couldn't. Granted, Jenny had a limited understanding of what is or isn't appropriate in British culture, but surely she knew stealing was wrong. On the other hand, she was desperate to fix her space ship.

Her mind reeled with suspicion. Jenny knew about the necklace, and she'd been holding her bag so tightly this morning.

No, she wouldn't do that.

But what did she really know about Jenny?

She snapped out of it at the sound of her name, judging by Mr. Maitland's face, he'd repeated it many times.

"Anything missing from your room?"

"No, I don't think so."

"I'm calling the cops."

"Wait!" Clara shouted and Peter turned around, waiting for an explanation that didn't come.

"Is there anything you want to tell me, Clara?"

Oh, this wasn't good. She'd done nothing wrong… except letting a stranger stay here for weeks.

"I… I think I heard a noise, yes, when I was in the bathroom, like, er, like footsteps, heavy, manly footsteps."

"Really? Maybe there were two people, Mrs. Miller said she saw a blonde woman."

Clara made herself take a few deep breaths but it didn't ease the twist in her stomach. She had to find Jenny.

As soon as Peter was out of her room, she dressed up in a pair of leggings and a denim shirt, and slipped her coat on as she walked out the front door. On the sidewalk, she looked left and right. Jenny could be anywhere in London. The city had never seemed so big.

She started in Regent's Park where Jenny said she'd met the Callufraxian. She scanned the crowd for a bouncing ponytail and alien faces. Obviously, he wasn't going around with purple skin. The more she looked at people, the weirder they seemed and Clara was freaking herself out. After a fruitless hour, she headed to Croydon, to find that alien garage her friend had mentioned. It was an even harder search and, with every passing minute, her speculations about Jenny, some accusing her, some excusing her, turned darker.

After two hours of aimless walking around, her feet hurt and hope was draining out of her. She sat on a park bench with a heavy sigh.

"Think! Think! Think!"

A passerby threw her a worried looked and turned around.

"Great, now I'm going mental. Aaand it's raining."

She spotted a Costa Coffee across the street and headed there, hoping a warm beverage would perk her up. As she waited in line, she looked through her shoulder bag for her mobile, she had to check in with Mr. Maitland. In fact, it was surprising he hadn't tried to contact her yet, considering she'd disappeared without a word. Ha. That's why. She'd left her mobile in her bedroom.

She asked for a green tea, barely paying attention to the barista. Somewhere between the cash register and receiving her drink, she had a stroke of genius.

"Can I have that to go instead, please?"

.o0o.o0o.

Clara walked briskly towards Esmond road and took a left on the footpath diving between the trees, branches whipped her face, thistles caught in her coat. The rain was down to a drizzle.

If Jenny had stolen the necklace to buy fuel, she would, of course, have to go back to her space ship at some point. Clara only hoped she hadn't left Earth yet.

She was out of breath when she spotted the familiar camouflaged escape pod and an even more familiar girl. There was a tool box opened on the ground along with the iridescent triangular component she'd acquired yesterday.

"Jenny!"

She whipped around and beamed at the sight of her friend, she literally bounced towards her. Her cheerful disposition reassured Clara, surely she wouldn't be so happy to see her if she had done something wrong. The knot in her stomach loosened slightly.

"Jenny, I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me."

Clara placed her hands on her friend's shoulders and Jenny's smile withered.

"What's wrong?"

"Did you… did you take something that doesn't belong to you?"

Jenny hung her head and worried her bottom lip.

"Did you?" Clara repeated.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Clara, I didn't think you'd find you… I only wanted to make you happy."

Clara dropped her hands. She felt something cold in her chest, something that made her angry.

"You shouldn't be sorry that I found out, you should be sorry you stole something so valuable!"

Jenny sniffed, her bottom lip quivering.

"Mrs. Miller saw you climb out the window and Mr. Maitland is panicking, he's calling the cops. What were you thinking?"

Jenny's eyes opened wide with fear.

"The police? Can they arrest me for taking a book?"

"Hold on, a book? What book?"

"Yours, 101 places to see, I took it this morning. I was going to give it back to you, I swear."

She pressed Clara's hands, willing her to believe her.

"You— what? But what about the necklace? What were you doing with my book?"

Jenny swore she didn't know anything about a necklace. She'd only taken the book. She'd made something with it as a thank you gift. Clara was even more confused.

Jenny entered her pod to take her backpack. Out of it, she pulled the precious book and handed it back to its rightful owner. Clara's first reflex was to make sure the red maple leaf was still between the first pages. Once she was reassured, she went through the rest of the book. Jenny was looking at her expectantly, raising herself on her toes and rocking back on the ball of her feet.

"It's at the end. Look." She flipped the last pages for Clara.

She had added a few pages, five new places to see, collages representing planets she wanted to take Clara to: Torasan, Poojarambhia, Ajoie, Rosner-Epsilon and New Samofalov. Each piece of paper was bursting with colours. She had gone a little overboard with the glitter but, for a soldier, she had a great artistic flair. One the last page, she'd written "Jenny and Clara's awesome adventures" in elaborate calligraphy with little hearts around.

Clara's eyes welled-up as did her heart. She'd never received such a thoughtful gift.

Jenny cupped her cheek, wiping a tear with her thumb.

"Don't cry," she said with a tilt of her head. "Don't you like it?"

A sharp, wet laugh escaped Clara's throat.

"I love it, Jenny, it's perfect. Oh, come here."

She hugged her tightly, burying her nose in the crook of her neck, chuckling through tears of joy. Her whole body sang with relief: Jenny was innocent and she was still here with her.

The embrace lasted longer than a standard hug. Jenny pressed her cold nose to Clara's cheek again and they separated with a contended sigh.

Clara sat on a tree stump, carefully holding her coat under her bum, and keeping her book close to her chest.

Jenny resumed working on her ship while talking about the craft activity at the community center. That's where she'd found the material to make the collages. Apparently, during her first week on Earth, when she was going around asking everyone if they knew the Doctor, Donna or Martha, a nice lady had taken her there. Jeremy, a social worker, had offered her cookies and had listened to her story, after which he'd invited her to join the arts club. Clara didn't tell her that the man probably thought she had a mental illness. Anyway, she'd attended the activity almost every week since then and had even made a friend who was also an alien (or so he said).

Then, Clara filled her in on what had happened at the house this morning.

It was getting darker and colder, and Clara was impatient to go back home, but it looked like Jenny was almost done.

"Finished!" Jenny declared, wiping her hands on her black trousers.

She sat down next to Clara, leaning against her.

"I suppose I have to sleep here now," she said with a pout.

"Not necessarily. I have an idea but, first, I have to find out what happened while I was gone."

.o0o.o0o.

Jenny sat at the table between Clara and Peter. She looked happy, dodging the children's curious questions between mouthfuls of mashed potatoes. She'd never attended a family dinner before and, as with every new experience, she was delighted. The family already liked her.

Clara laced their fingers under the table and they exchanged a smile.

Angie was the one who had taken the necklace, not for the first time apparently, even though it was forbidden. She just wanted to impress her school friends with it.

Clara had made up a story about Jenny, saying she was a friend of hers from Blackpool whose father was in the hospital. She'd lied, said she'd received a call from her late last night, that Jenny had nowhere to go. Since everyone was already asleep, Clara said she'd let her in then asked her to sneak out the window.

Mr. Maitland was unhappy that she'd done it behind his back in his own house, and he'd reprimanded her. Nevertheless, he'd agreed to let Jenny sleep in his house for the rest of the week, as long as it didn't interfere with Clara's chores. One week, that was plenty of time to figure something out.

.o0o.o0o.

Clara sat in her bed, looking through Jenny's collages once again. Her cheeks ached from smiling. Her whole body tingled with joyful energy. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. It reminded her of Christmas Eve when she was young, she'd spend the night wide awake, thinking of all the gifts and the food to come. Except now she was thinking of all the planets and all the wonderful moments to come with Jenny.

Her friend came in, fresh from a shower, wearing a white vest top and the pink sheep shorts. The same joyful energy seemed to course through her veins. She skipped from one end of the room to the other, brushing her hair, folding her clothes and spreading white lily lotion on her arms.

"Stop buzzing around and come here," Clara said, impatient to have her in her arms again.

Jenny turned off the light, only a paper lamp by the bed remained, and joined her friend in bed.

They lied on their sides, legs entwined in a way that had become natural for them. They pulled the freshly-washed bed sheets over their heads and giggled at silly things they said.

Jenny became serious after a while, her lips pressed in a thin line.

"I feel…"

"Yes?"

"I feel sort of funny when I'm with you like this," Jenny said as she twirled a brown lock of hair around her index.

"Funny how? Are you gonna be sick?" Clara asked, confused.

"No, it's— it's a good funny. Warm," she said, guiding her friend's hand to her stomach.

Clara swallowed thickly, feeling very warm herself.

"My hearts are beating really fast and I'm not even running."

"Mine's beating fast too," Clara confessed.

Jenny put her hand over Clara's chest, just under her collarbone. Feeling the pulse against her palm, she smiled.

"Do you know why it's doing that?" Clara whispered.

"I think I do." Jenny looked down and rested her forehead against Clara's. "I think it's love."

"I think so too."

There was a moment suspended in time, on the edge of something big and scary but wonderful.

Clara longed to kiss Jenny, feel her lips, taste her breath. She moved closer, their hips locked and she nudged Jenny's nose with her own. Only the worry of taking advantage of her somewhat innocent friend stopped her from going further.

"I kissed someone once," Jenny said as if she'd read her thoughts, "I did it to steal his gun. I don't think that was right."

"No?"

Clara didn't think her heart could beat any faster and yet it did. Her mouth went dry as she waited with baited breath. Jenny's hand traveled from her upper chest, to the nape of her neck and into her hair. A delightful shiver ran down Clara's spine.

"But I think kissing you would be right."

Jenny softly pressed her lips to Clara's. Chastely, tenderly, and Clara held back with all her might, letting Jenny set the pace.

Clara blinked in surprise when Jenny broke the kiss, she wanted so much more. Hesitantly, she slipped her hand under Jenny's top, resting it on the soft skin of her stomach. Jenny's breath itched and she licked her lips and that was all the indication Clara needed. She kissed her, moving her lips this time, pressing more firmly and Jenny sighed and grasped her brown locks.

Clara's head swam, high on her sweet taste, on the softness of her skin, on the little noise she made in the back of her throat. Her hand moved up along the curve of her waist, over her ribs, stopping short of the swell of her breasts. Jenny's kiss became hungrier, her fingers digging in Clara's flesh, holding her close. They clutched each other's legs, smooth calves rubbing together. Shy tongues sought each other.

"Clara." There was something pleading in her tone, but she didn't seem to know what she was asking for.

She took Clara's hand and guided it higher, to her breast.

"Are you sure?"

"Please, I don't know, just…" Her voice was thin, her green eyes imploring her.

Clara squeezed the sensitive flesh and Jenny's jaw went slack. As she teased one breast and then the other, she kissed her cheek and neck and collarbones. She wanted to taste the foreign galaxies on her skin and turn her blood to shooting stars. It was overwhelming. She used to think that she'd been in love before, now she knew that wasn't true.

All that repressed desire they'd accumulated over the last weeks was now burning up, fueling them, erasing any inhibition. Jenny was pressing herself against her thigh, moving her hips languorously. She whimpered when Clara's hand left her breast but it turned to moans when it slipped under her waistband. She bucked in Clara's palms and clutched her friend, kissing her once again. The kiss was erratic as were the rest of their movements, novice but passionate. Clara moved her fingers faster and Jenny hid her face in the crook of her neck, muffling her cries as she shook with release.

Clara held her in her arms, still astonished by what had just happened.

"You okay?"

"That was wonderful," Jenny said, looking at her with stars in her eyes.

Foregoing her own needs in favour of taking care of Jenny, Clara caressed her hair and kissed her temple.

But the blonde girl was a fast learner and, as she had often done before, she imitated Clara. Curiosity and admiration passed over Jenny's features as she explored her friend's body. But this wasn't just another alien experiment, the kisses were too reverent, the touches too brazen. One hand slipped under her top, the other in her knickers and it wasn't long before Clara was arching off the bed.

All night, they held each other tight, whispering silly things and lovely things and kissing until the sunlight caught in Jenny's hair.


	3. Chapter 3

Bonus Christmas fluff. Enjoy!

Back when Clara was only knee-high to a grasshopper, she used to sneak out of her room to sit in front of the Christmas tree. She was mesmerized by the colourful lights and the sparkling ornaments. She hoped some of its magic would rub off on her.

She'd pray to the half-chewed baby Jesus figurine resting under the tree. She'd ask for all sorts of things: world peace, health for her grandmother or a Gameboy. But what she asked for, time and time again, was a best friend, she'd share her toys with her, they'd have a secret handshake and protect each other. You see, little Clara was often teased in school because of her sticky-out ears or her mother's questionable fashion choices. And she used to think that if only she had a best friend who would stick with her, despite her funny haircuts or silly t-shirts, despite the mockeries, if she had just one best friend to hold her hand, then everything would be alright. Even later on, when her ears were fixed, and she could choose her own clothes, and she'd changed school and had other friends, she still wished she had a real best friend.

For years, her parents would find her in the morning, asleep in front of the Christmas tree.

Tonight, she sits in front of the same old artificial Christmas tree, with its crooked branches and the golden star sitting precariously on top of it. It looks no less magical to her for tonight she isn't alone. Jenny is by her side. They're sitting on the rug, fingers intertwined, only the glow of Christmas lights illuminates their beatific smiles.

"But why is it always a pine tree? Not a maple tree or an oak?" Jenny asks in a whisper.

"I think it's a symbol, you know, because they stay green in the winter or something."

"A symbol?"

"It represents something more, like, erm… Oh! It's like the pages you added to my book, they were a symbol of the adventures you wanted to have with me."

Jenny smiles brightly.

"Oh, I see."

She leans in to kiss Clara. Their lips, sticky and sweet from eating candy canes, move in a way that has become natural to them. Clara sighs contentedly and rests her head on Jenny's shoulder.

The space ship is all set and ready to go, but Clara had wanted to see her family in Liverpool before leaving. The holidays had provided the perfect opportunity, and Jenny had jumped at the chance to experience this human tradition. The alien girl had so many questions about it, they'd had to tell Mr. Oswald that she'd been raised in a religious sect which she'd only escaped in the last year ("But, dad, please don't ask her about it, it's a very sensitive subject.").

They'd had a grand time walking along the docks, watching a special screening of _Miracle on 34__th__ street_ in Clayton Square and making excuses to find themselves under every mistletoe available. Her father had accepted their relationship without batting an eye. He'd even told a few embarrassing stories— as dads are wont to do— over dinner about Clara making her Barbie dolls kiss and the adoring letter she'd written to a young pop star.

"What was that song again? You wouldn't stop listening to it, something about a bee… You know what I'm talking about."

"Honey to the Bee," Clara mumbled, embarrassed by her teen crush on Billie Piper.

"You had posters of her all over your walls."

"I'd like to hear that," Jenny said.

"Trust me, you don't."

But she couldn't refuse Jenny anything, so, after dinner, Clara pulled her old CD collection from the bottom of the wardrobe. They'd listen to the pop songs while painting each other's toe nails in appropriate holiday colours. By track 10, they'd forgotten the music, focusing instead of snogging. A make out session the likes of which she used to write about in her furry year 11 diary.

Now that they'd started kissing and making love, they couldn't be stopped. Even the row of teddy bears above Clara's childhood bed and her father in the other room hadn't deterred them. They were careful, keeping the position changes to a minimum and biting pillows to muffle their moans. And they'd wake up holding each other naked, to the frosty glow of the December sun, and the smell of pancakes.

Jenny had insisted on making gifts for everyone in the Oswald family, so they'd baked sugar cookies shaped like stars and angels which they'd decorated with icing before wrapping them. A second batch of cookies was taken to the homeless shelter. Jenny had charmed every person there, talking to everyone with genuine interest, not held back by prejudice. It seemed it was possible to fall even more in love with her after all.

Tomorrow, the whole Oswald family will come over. Her aunts and grandmother will cook the turkey while the men will build a snow fort in the backyard for the children. It will be hectic but a lot of fun. So for now, Clara just wants to enjoy this peaceful moment with her very own best friend.

"We should find out about celebrations on other planets," Clara said.

"I know about a Jokkvare tradition. It's a tiny planet with a deep valley in the middle where bell flowers grow. And once a year, the planet's axis changes and so does the wind which makes the bell flowers chime, like a symphony, unique every year, never heard before and never heard again. It's sacred to them."

Clara changes position to rest her head on her friend's lap. She closes her eyes as Jenny strokes her hair and keeps on talking in a soft voice about the festivities surrounding the bell flowers symphony: On the hills surrounding the valley, the inhabitants set up tents decorated with garlands of pearls, and orchestras play religious hymns on glass instruments.

"We could even join the dance," she adds enthusiastically, "it's the only thing foreigners are allowed to try, the rest is too sacred, they do a sort of choreography with bubbles they collect in the sea."

"It sounds wonderful. Have you ever been there before?"

"Once, I didn't stay for long."

"Wouldn't you rather see something else?" Clara asked, turning on her back to look up at her friend.

Jenny shook her head.

"I want to see it all with you."

She stroke Clara's cheek, looking into her eyes.

"Better with two, as my dad used to say."

Clara pulled her down to her for another kiss, and they cuddled under a blanket, falling asleep in front of the good old Christmas tree.


End file.
